Russia and North Korea Freak Out Over Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’
Pyongyang claimed it could trigger an “outer space nuclear war.”
KRISTINA KORMILITSYNA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Russia and North Korea have both criticized President Donald Trump’s plan to build a “Golden Dome” missile defense shield, calling it a threat to global peace and security.
The North Korean foreign ministry said the U.S. was operating at “the height of self-righteousness [and] arrogance” with a plan which is “a typical product of ‘America first’” and could trigger “an outer space nuclear war scenario.”
The Russian foreign ministry also went on the attack, with spokesperson Maria Zakharova warning the missile shield would undermine “strategic stability.”
The statements, following similar criticism from China, came as Russian President Vladimir Putin—increasingly reliant on his North Korean ally Kim Jong Un for missiles and soldiers—resists Trump’s calls to end the conflict in Ukraine and instead steps up attacks on civilian targets.
President Donald J. Trump greets Tesla CEO Elon Musk in Doha, Qatar. Musk’s SpaceX could be in line to develop the Golden Dome system.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
Modeled on Israel’s Iron Dome, Trump’s Golden Dome project was unveiled on May 20 and, according to the administration, is expected to cost $175 billion and take only three years to complete.
The Golden Dome system is designed to act as a shield for the U.S. by harnessing satellites around the world to identify and knock out incoming intercontinental missiles before they make landfall.
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The Associated Press said it was aimed at stopping missiles from countries such as China, Iran, Russia, and Kim Jong Un’s North Korea.
Vladimir Putin is relying on Kim Jong Un’s missiles and soldiers for his bogged-down offensive in eastern Ukraine.
Contributor/Getty Images
The ambitious project has also triggered fears in China. Last week, Beijing called for Washington to ditch the project, saying it was “seriously concerned” about the plan, which has “strong offensive implications.”
“The United States, in pursuing a ‘US-first’ policy, is obsessed with seeking absolute security for itself. This violates the principle that the security of all countries should not be compromised and undermines global strategic balance and stability,” China’s foreign ministry said.
Trump has admitted that nobody has asked him to build the anti-missile defense system, but is ready to plow ahead anyway, with Elon Musk emerging as the frontrunner to help make the project a reality.
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